Automatic switch and stand for pressing-irons.



F.- E. EMERY. AUTOMATIC SWITCH AND STAND PoR PREssING IRoNs. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27, 1908.

91 3,480. Patented Feb. 23,1909.

' s SHEETS-SHEET 1. /4

F. E. BMERY. AUTOMATIC SWITCH AND STAND PoR PRBSSING IBoNs.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27, 1908.

91 3,480. Petented Feb. 23, 1909.

3 SHEETS--SHEET 2.

Snom/tion F. E. EMERY. AUTOMATIC SWITCH AND STAND PoR PRESSING moNs. APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 27, 1908.

91 3,480. Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

FRANK E. EMERY, OI` NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATI'IC SWITCH AND STAND FOR PRESSING-IRONS.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

Application led March 2li', 1908. Serial No. 423,739.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatvl, FRANK E. EMERY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Switches and Stands for Pressing-Irons, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to automatic switches and stands for ressing irons.

The object oipthe present invention is the provision of an automatic switch and heating stand for electrically heated pressing or 5 be completed when the pressing or sad iron f is placed on the stand and also serve as a signal to show whether the current is on or on' when the pressing `or sad iron is on the stand; and a heating stand ci novel construction permittin radiation oi the heat so that the stand itsel "will not become unduly heated.

Another object is the provision of an electrical pressing or sad iron having its contacts arranged in a .novel'manner so that while they will bepositioned for engagement' by the switch on the stand, they will not interfere with the use of the pressing or sad iron in any'of the usual pressing or ironing operations.

The invention is susceptible of many changes without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

in the following s ecication a full disclosure is given of t e one embodiment of the invention which is shown in the accompanying drawings, where:-

Figure 1 is a side elevation, full lines showing the pressing or sad iron when being placed on the stand and the switch and combined operating device and signal in normal position, and dotted lines showing the posil tion of the parts when the switch is closed i and the sad iron is being heated; Fig. 2, a I plan view showing the pressing or sad iron i 1n the position it assumes when being heated, the switch operating device and signal being shown by dotted lines in the position assumed when thrown back to prevent operation oi the switch by the pressing or sad iron; Fig. 3, a side elevation showing the combined signal and switch operating device thrown up so that it will not be engaged by the pressing or sad iron, dotted lines showing the extreme forward position of the pressing or sad iron; Fig. 4, a longitudinal section of a portion oi the pressing or sad iron and stand g Fig. 5, a longitudinal section of one of the switch arms 5 Fig. 6, an enlarged detail ci the switch operating device; and Fig. 7, a detail view of a part of'one of the switch aHIlS.

`The support l for the pressing or sad iron stand is supported in any suitable way, as by short pillars or columns 2, so that it will be at a suitable height to permit ready placement and removal of the' pressing orvsad iron to and from the ironing board or table. The pressing or sad, iron stand 3 rests upon a slab or suitable piece of ireproof or heat insulating material e, the stand 3 havin(r lugs or feet 6 resting upon the slab 4 andJ secured theretb and to the support 1 by screws 5. At the nose and. along the rear edge of the stand 3 is a retaining flange 7, but the front portion of. the stand being open permits ready placementl or removal of the pressing 'or sad iron, which, however, is retained when once placed by a detachable stri 8 secured by screws 9 to the stand 3. T e stand is provided with suitable openings 1() which permit free circulation of air, and the stand construction, combined with the use of the slab 4, which is in turn held above the support 1 by the lugs 1l, prevents the heat of the pressing -or sad iron irombeing transmitted to the columns 2 to any appreciable extent, and thus danger from re is obviated.

Bridging the nose of the stand 3 is an arch 12, which vis secured to the support 1 and which may be adjusted to regulate the play of the switch arms.

A frame-,work composed of the three legs 14 and cross-pieces 14, is secured to the provided with duplicate stop screws 13, 1

and operating devices therefor are carried by this frame-work. IConnectedto one of the legs and to one of the cross.- ieces by cottersl is a shaft 16, on which is--journaled "the switch'arms 17 5) by virtue of the aperture 18. provided in the rear ends of said switch arms. The switch arms are preferably rigidly connected together so that they will move as one, but they may be'separately formed.

On the under faces of the switch arms are copper or other suitable contact blocks 19 which are provided with screw stems 20 passing through the switch arms and retained by nuts 21, between which are washers 22, and between the Washers the wire terminals 23 'encircle the screws 20, and Y the insulated wire 24 leads to any suitable circuit, such for instance, as an incandescent lamp socket. Suitable insulating material 25 is dis osed between-the contact 19 and the switc arm and between the lower nut 21 and said arm to thoroughly insulate the contact 19 from the switch arm. Secured to the under face of the switch arm, in each instance, is a block 26 having a pair of depending ears 27.

Screwbolts 28, which pass throughl the arm 17, are detachably connected to the ears 27 by a pin 29 so that the screw bolt can be quickly removed. when desired (Fig. 7). The screw bolt 28 and the nut and washer 30 secure to the arms 17 leaf s rings 31. The switch arms are retracte upwardly by coil springs 32 secured toscrews 33 and to other screws 34 on the crosspiece 14a.

' Pivoted on a pin 35, which is held to ears 36 on one of the legs 14 by cotters 37', is a lever 38 which has a cam face 39 on its u per end, an arm 40 being secured to the ever and bearing against the free outwardly extending portions of the springs 31, the engagement of the springs 31 with the arm 40, and the action oi the springs 32 serving to keep the parts in the position shown in ull lines. The lever 33 may he guided in any suitable manner, as for instance, by a iinger 141.

Slidahle through two of the le s 14 is a' round rod 41 which carries a whee 42 at one end to hear against the cam surface 39. This wheel could be dispensed with and the end of the rod 41 made to bear directly against the surface 39. The otherend of the rod 41 carries an L-shaped combined arm and signal 43, one leg of which is made adjustable to diiierent positions on the rod 41 by the nuts 44 the longer of the two arms being ci sucient length to be made to extend horizontally (Figs. 1 and 2) to lie in the pathoi the ressing or sad iron, and the whole rod an arm `being adapted to he turned to said longer part ci the arm into upright position,

pienso support 1 and of the switch mechanism l as shown in Fig, 3, when it is desired to pre vent engagement of the arm by the pressing or sad iron. The part-43 then serves as a signal to show that the current is not on. The shorter arm 43 is adapted to .strike against the leg 14 adjacent thereto when the signal is turned to the position shown in Fig. 3, so that when in this position, the rod 41 cannot be shifted from the position shown in Fig. 3. To prevent the weight of the longer` part of the arm 43 from causing the arm to dro a stop plate 45 is provided on leg 141L an the parts may be notched, as shown at 43b and 45a to permit the longer part of arm 43 to lie in an inclined osition, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2. ceives the longer part of the arm 43 when the pressing or sad iron handle is engaged with said arm, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the tog-piece 14a lis provided with a stop 46 W 'c when the parts are in said position, engages the inner nut 44 and prevents turnin of the arm 43 and the rod 41.

he pressing or sad iron, may be of any preferred type, that shown being composed of a shoe to which the body 51 is secured by bolts 52, the top being shown at 53 and the handle at 54 as secured to the top and the body 51 by bolts 55. Fastened by screws to the nose of the sad iron is a late 57, which is surmounted by suitable ins ating material 53,.on which are contact blocks 59 corre-- sponding to the contact blocks 19 and fastened to the body 51 by screws which pass through larger o enings in the plate 57 and are suitably insu ated.

The contacts 59 are electrically connected to a suitably insulated resistance 64 lying between the shoe 50 and body 51 by metal strpzs 66 which are also suitably insulated.

e pressing or sad iron may be of any preferred form, the only novelty I claim in connection therewith being the disposition of the contacts 59 on the top of the pressing or sad iron.

Normally the switch arms 17 are raised and the different parts in the positions shown by full lines. li 1t is desired to merely lace the pressing or sad iron on the stand wit out heating it, the arm 43 is turned upwardly to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 and in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the shorter arm 43a then being adapted to abut the leg 14 and prevent movement of the rod 41, and the arrn 43 is prevented from dropping b reason of the engagement of arm 43a wit sto 45. The pressing or sad iron may than be p aced as far on the stand as desired without any engagement of the contact blocks 19 and 59' 0 he notch 45a also re- .8

sienne iron reaching theposition shown in 'fulljlines in Fig. v1, it engages with the arm '43 and further pushing of the pressing or sad iron on the stand results in therod 41 sliding through the legs 14 and by the engagement of wheel 42 with cam 39, causing the lever 38 to be pushed vto the` osition shown by dotted lines 1n Fig. 1 and fliill lines in 2, the arm 43 iinally resting in the `notch 45a and the stop 45 engaging the inner nut 44 and preventing it from turning. When the lever 38 moves, the arm 4() wipes against the under faces of the tree ends of the leaf springs 31, which by their yielding action permit the travel of the arm 40, and at the same time, said arm 4() causes the forward end of the switch arm 17 to be throwndown, thusl bringing the contact blocks 19 down upon the contact blocks 59, where they are heldasY long as the handle 54 of the pressing or sad iron is in engagement with the arm 43, and the current then traverses the stri s 66 and 64 and heats thel pressing or sa iron.

The construction of the stand prevents the heat from bein transmitted to any dangerous degree to t e columns 2. immediately the user slides the pressing or 'sad iron o of its stand, as shown in Fig. 1, the springs 32 and the spring action of the springs 31 on arm 40 cause the parts to assume the positions.

shown in ful lines and, by reason of the manner in which the arm 40 coperates with springs 31, the contacts 19 are snapped out of engagement with contacts 39 and sparking is minimized. The screws 13 can he adjusted as found desirable to regulate the downward play of the switch arms 17, and adjustment of the arm 43 can be had by moving the nuts 44. Whenever it is desired to place the pressing or sad iron on the stand without heating it, the arm 43 may be Jnrst thrown up into the position shown in llig. 2, (see dotted lines) and 3 and a signal is thus provided'showing that the current is ofi'.

l desire it understood that, aside from the other features .of the invention, l consider inyselfthe iirst to rovide a signal 'for a pressing or sad iron eating stand, whether such signal be mechanical, electrical or otherwise, and` to operate or control the electrical circuit switch or controller by a device operated by the pressing or sad iron and siiiiitable from operating position and l am aware that various changes of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention and lay claim to all modifications coming within the spirit thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isz- 1. ln an electric heating stand and pressing or sad iron, the combination with contacts on the pressing or sad iron, of a movable electric switch on the stand adapted for positive operation by the pressing o r sad iron to engage said contacts, and an indicator for showing whether the switch is open or closed.

2. In 'an automatic switch and stand for pressing or sad irons, the combination with means for controlling the circuit for heating the pressing or sad iron, of a shiftable member tor causing o eration of said circuit controlling means a oresaid which is adapted to be positioned to be engaged by the pressing or sad iron when on the stand for the operation of the circuit controlling means or to be shifted so that the pressing or sad iron cannot engage 3. n an electric heating stand and pressing or sad iron, the combination with contacts on the pressing or sad iron, of a movable electric switch on the stand adapted for positive operation by the pressing or sad iron to engage said contacts.

4. n an automatic switch and stand for pressing or sad irons, the combination with a movable switch arm adapted to control the circuit for heating the pressing or sad iron, of a leaf sprin carried thereby, an arm coperating with t e leaf spriri a `spring for o erating the switch arm, an means opera le by the pressing or sad iron for shifting the arm to move the switch arm.

' 5. ln an automatic switch and stand for pressing or sad irons, the combination with a movable switch arm adapted to control the circuit for heating the pressing or sad iron, orA a lear1 spring carried thereby, an arm coperating with the lear1 sprin ating the switch arm, a longitudinally movable rod for shifting said arm, and means for shifting the rod by the pressing or sad iron.

o. ln an automatic switch and stand for pressin or sad irons, the combination with a switch ror controlling the circuit Jfor heating the pressing or sad iron, of a longitudinally shiitable rod for operating said switch, and means for shifting the rod from the pressing or sad iron.

7. ln an automatic switch and stand for pressin or sad irons, the combination with a switch 'or controlling the circuit for'heating the pressing or sad iron, of a longitudinally shiftable rod for operatin said switch, and means carried by the ro adapted for engagement by the pressing or sad iron and for shifting out ofthe path oi the pressing or sad iron to prevent movement of the said rod.

S. ln an automatic switch and stand for pressing or sad irons, the combination with a switch for controlling the circuit for heating the pressing or sad iron, of a longitudinally movable rod adapted for turning on its axis which controls the switch, and means carried by the rod adapt'ed to be positioned for engagement by t e pressing or sad iron to cause operation of the switch by said sad iron or to be turned with the rod to prevent engagement with the pressing or sad iron.

a spring for oper- 9. In an electric heating stand for sad irons, the combination with a sad iron carrying an electric heating device, of electric ter-` minal contacts for said heating device Which are on top of the sad iron, and a movable electric switch on the stand. adapted to engage said contact terminals.

' AIn testimony whereof, l hereunto aix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

FRANK E. EMERY.'

Witnesses:

FRANCIS DEPEW, MARY T. CooGAN. 

